Sharma made headlines with a blistering 47-ball century in only his second T20I, showcasing his explosive batting prowess
Abhishek Sharma (Pic: AFP)
With the announcement of India's squad for Gautam Gambhir's inaugural series as head coach, significant transformations are already underway, underscored by Gambhir's influential presence in the selection process.
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The appointment of Suryakumar Yadav, formerly Gambhir's deputy at Kolkata Knight Riders, as captain of the T20I squad, and the removal of 2024 World Cup vice-captain Hardik Pandya from all leadership roles signals the former India opener's assertive imprint on team captaincy. Jasprit Bumrah, on the other hand, is slated for a prolonged break, contrasting with the return of Shreyas Iyer to the ODI fold despite his absence from the BCCI central contract list.
Meanwhile, Punjab Kings' flamboyant all-rounder Abhishek Sharma, despite his stellar performances during India's recent Zimbabwe tour, did not find a place in the 15-member squad.
He made headlines with a blistering 47-ball century in only his second T20I, showcasing his explosive batting prowess. However, the return of key players like Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammad Siraj for the ODIs may have seen Sharma miss out.
Sharma, who initially struggled with a four-ball duck in his debut innings, bounced back spectacularly in the second T20I against Zimbabwe, opening the batting and smashing a scintillating century adorned with seven fours and eight sixes.
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Despite being shifted to No. 3 later in the series due to Yashasvi Jaiswal's return, Sharma maintained a respectable performance, concluding with 124 runs across four innings at an impressive average of 31.00 and a striking rate of 174.64.
His compelling IPL 2024 season with Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he finished as the league's 10th highest run-scorer with 484 runs in 16 innings at an astonishing strike rate of 204.21, further solidified his credentials for a national team berth.
Although Jaiswal and Shubman Gill are slated to open the innings for India in the upcoming T20Is, Sharma's versatility as both a dynamic batsman and a handy bowler made a strong case for his inclusion as a backup opener. Nonetheless, the selectors opted to bolster the middle order by retaining Riyan Parag and Sanju Samson, with Rishabh Pant returning after his rest during the Zimbabwe series.
IND vs SL, T20I and ODI squad announcement: Full squads
T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohd. Siraj.
ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.
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